Mapuche people in Chile seek control over their homelands

Friday, May 31, 2013  

Members of the Mapuche Tribe in Chile are seeking self-determination over land that was reserved to them by treaties.

The tribe controlled the southern half of Chile following independence from Spain in the early 1800s. But by the late 1800s, European settlers breached the boundary and took over the Mapuche territory.

Since then, conflict has marked the relationship between the tribe and the government. About 1.5 million people in the country claim Mapuche ancestry, or about 8.6 percent of the population, and about half of them live in the southern treaty area.

"We're asking for our own government because this is our land. It's not anti-Chilean, it's pro-Mapuche." Aucan Huilcaman, a Mapuche leader, told the Associated Press.

Mapuche leaders say a tribally-controlled territory can co-exist with the Chilean government.

Get the Story:
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